A known inkjet recording apparatus records an image onto a sheet by ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet. The image recording by the inkjet recording apparatus is implemented by ejecting ink droplets toward the sheet from nozzles provided in a recording portion.
In the known inkjet recording apparatus, a problem, such as cockling, may occur. Cockling generally refers to deformation of a sheet in which ink droplets are absorbed, and the deformation causes curling or rippling in the sheet. When cockling occurs in the sheet, a distance (e.g., a head gap) between the sheet and the recording portion may vary during image recording. The head gap variations cause an undesired contact of the sheet with the recording portion or improper conveyance of the sheet in which a leading edge of the sheet is shifted from a desired position. These issues may lead to a paper jam in the known inkjet recording apparatus.
Another known image recording apparatus is configured to address the above-described problem and perform double-sided printing. After recording an image on one surface (e.g., a front surface) of a sheet, the other known image recording apparatus stops conveyance of the sheet in a U-shaped conveyance path for a predetermined time period before recording an image on the other surface (e.g., a back surface) of the sheet. By doing so, the sheet is intentionally curled in a substantially U-shape. When a curl direction that the sheet is intentionally curled is opposite to a curl direction that the sheet is curled due to the cockling, the curling caused intentionally and the curling caused by the cockling in the sheet compensate for each other. Therefore, the deformation of the sheet due to the cockling may be relieved.